"Damn straight!" Scaramouche probably didn't comment on her immaturity as a compliment, but damned if she wasn't gonna accept it! Kyoko was a kid to the core! "Well, I ain't gonna have any accidents. Not unless I become the next Virgin Mary." And with her history? Pfft...highly doubted that. ...Could magical girls become pregnant? Eesh, not something she really wanted to think about. "Myah~!" The teenager upped the stakes by pulling down on an eyelid. Without really noticing it, the redhead was smiling from their silly antics!

"'Kay." Homo fatal sounded dumb anyway. "Yeah! Nothing else about ya really screams 'China'." Hey--did his hat make a noise like a cymbal? The hat shimmered beautifully, and Kyoko couldn't conjure up a single smart ass comment! Instead, her eyes widened, staring with a childlike awe. "I guess that's kinda smart..." Maybe a little. Just a bit. She stifled a little giggle at his fancy finger-work with the hat, flipping it in the air a few times before setting it upon her head! Her hands reached up, clasping the ends of it curiously before tilting it up so she could maintain eye contact. On him, it was wide-brimmed. On herself, it may as well be a satellite dish! Despite that, the teenager seemed pretty taken by the new accessory, drumming her fingers along the surface with a giggle. "So your world definitely had a sun! Even with the demon ruler." Otherwise, the solar energy hat would be useless.

"Hey, I don't need to know algebra to get by in my daily life! So I can afford to be bad at math, Baka-bot." Long division wasn't going to help against any Witches. Legs dangling off the side of the bench, Kyoko kicked them idly as she listened. "Yeah, there's always more dummies, trading their souls for magic powers. Not that we really knew about the soul part til after..." Still, it was pretty naive to trust a random white creature to grant their innermost desires.

"I know what you're goin' through."

The heart to heart was as unpredictable as the robot himself, Scaramouche opening himself bit by bit in an attempt to gain some sort of understanding. Kyoko had once been in his heels, trying to reach out to somebody by striking common ground. Suddenly sheepish, the magical girl averted her gaze to her knees, positioning the hat to hide her face. Well...she remembered how it felt to be rejected after such an attempt to reach out. "It's okay. I didn't always get along with the others anyway. The only one who really seemed to like me came here too, but she's...not big on talking. Or, feeling, really." Homura Akemi was still as mysterious and strange as she'd always been, even after the uncomfortable truths she had revealed to the redhead.

Silence fell upon them for a moment, enough that she eventually stopped feeling so sheepish. It wasn't often that Kyoko really talked about 'feelings'. She bided her time by idly watching Scaramouche at work, intrigued by the mechanisms and just how much debris seemed to get caught in there. When he noticed the silence, she smirked back at him and gave the hat a pat, hard enough for it to make its little cymbal chime! "No problem, Humpty Dumpty~!" Now, how to continue...? "Well, my first year as a magical girl, I did an okay job. Killed some witches, got some Grief Seeds. But it wasn't til I met Mami that I really honed my skills. She was in a neighboring town, and she saved me from a real nasty Witch. Afterwards, she decided to take me in and teach me, she had been a magical girl for even longer than me." Kyoko paused, looking at Scaramouche with scrutiny before nodding to herself.

"I think you'd like her. Mami loved baking, she was very proper and sweet. She was a little older than me so...I kinda looked up to her. I even brought her home to have dinner with my family once. It was pretty nice..." Kyoko trailed off for a moment, fingers drumming the hat with no real rhythm before continuing. "She fought Witches with muskets, so when we sparred, she stuck to more 'hand to hand' fighting. Or, she'd track down familiars and watch me fight them, correcting my moves as we fought more and more of 'em." She had to admit, Mami really knew how to fight with the best of them.

"Nah, my parts ain't Chinese in origin," Scaramouche elaborated, shaking his head. "My original commissioner explicitly wanted European quality. Nothin' else would do." Explained a lot, didn't it? The android glanced down at himself and listed off his meager possessions, "My pea coat is European, my boots are European, even my belt is European. The only things that aren't are my paddy hat, Toccata, and Fugue. I acquired them on the job." And each one had a colorful story associated with it, too. Usually painted with a lovely coat of blood red...

Bdsssht! Bdsssht!

Bdsssst-sst-ssth!

Aw, Kyoko looked absolutely darb wearing the so-called 'satellite dish'! "Mhm! Of course there was a sun," he smiled, swinging his legs to-and-fro idly. A couple of immature kids, the two of them. "I'm from Earth, y'know! Well... an Earth, I guess. An Earth that was horribly perverted by Aku, but an Earth nevertheless. It, uh... wasn't a good place." Love ya, Aku, baby (except for the part where you casually killed him), but you made for a terrible planetary despot. Which, you know, was probably the whole point of the demon's anarchic rule. Probably. He loudly scoffed at Kyoko's distaste for mathematics. "As if!" Scaramouche disputed her ignorant claim. "I dunno what kind of homeschoolin' you got, but math is the language of the universe! Why, everythin' is practically math. Like, say, the radial symmetry of snowflakes... the Fibonacci sequences of sunflowers and nautilus shells... and, ooh, even the fractal spirals of Romanesco broccoli~!" Fascinating stuff.

"Yeah, there's always more dummies, trading their souls for magic powers. Not that we really knew about the soul part til after..."

...Oh. That was... hm.

A knowing sigh escaped his metal throat, "Oi... ain't nothin' ever free in life, huh?" Yeah, he understood you, kid. He understood you real hard. "But hey, look on the bright side~!" Scaramouche was always searching for a silver lining. "At least ya got magical powers and you ain't exactly held to task by whatever stole your soul in the first place, right? I mean sure, ya hunt Witches and shit? But ya also have the luxury of doin' whatever ya want whenever ya want, y'know what I mean, jelly bean? Here on the Breach, anyway!" So, all in all, not a bad deal. "Oh, so there is another one of ya." Funny... how come Scaramouche had never seen her around? Maybe, just maybe, the android could press his luck and ask. Or, you know, he could play it safe. After all, there was probably a good reason why he hadn't seen another magical girl running in the streets, fighting Witches and kicking ass. "...Mami?" Hm, not the same magical girl Kyoko had been referring to just previously. This one was regarded in the past tense and most likely, well... dead. "Nothin' wrong with havin' a mentor~!" the android kept smiling and smiling, a song in his figurative heart. "I kinda wish I had one when startin' this thankless gig... It def-o would've helped."

Mami... sweet, nurturing, and fairly levelheaded. Not at all like the feisty tyke sitting beside him. Like they say around the water cooler, opposites attract! "So, basically a magical girl Lunette," he pointed out. Probably why Kyoko thought he'd like her. Auditory databanks rewound and reviewed something the magical girl had said in passing. "What's a Grief Seed...?" And why was it gathered?

European? That definitely explained the plug. "That's kinda interesting. Your commissioner must have wanted you to be really fancy." To Kyoko at least, European designs seemed to be fancy, a sign of wealth. Chinese, not so much! Toccata and Fugue...? "What're those?" She chirped curiously, staring up at him with interest. Must have been really neat if he found them on the job! Maybe weapons? If there was any teen who'd love to hear about weapons, it'd be this one! What strange names, too! Was naming weapons typical? Her eyes flitted to the spear's resting place with a thoughtful hum.

Noticing the robot was also kicking his legs, Kyoko focused and slowed her pace until she almost matched his idle swings. Left, right, left, right! "I guess I kept imagining some sort of...weird future thing, since you're a robot! Japan was kinda high tech, but we didn't have any robots yet. I don't think we were anywhere close to 'em." Aku...? Her brows furrowed. "That's the demon? He was named 'Evil'...? I was expecting Satan or somethin'." How strange...in all of her father's teachings, she'd never heard of a demon named Aku. "If math's the language of the universe, why's it so hard to learn? It's so complicated!" And the teenager really didn't understand where snowflakes, shells, and broccoli came in as far as math went!

"Oi... ain't nothin' ever free in life, huh?"

Wasn't that the truth! But Kyoko was hardly gonna be brought down by something like that. It was a hard lesson to learn, but the magical girl was wiser now. ...Relatively speaking! "Yeah, this place is really great for me! I get to live somewhere for free, I don't have to steal food, and I don't even have to fight with other magical girls for Witches!" The redhead beamed at the robot brightly. "I mean, I could do whatever I wanted back in Japan, but I was kinda breaking laws and stuff. Which," A casual shrug. "I didn't care. I did what I had to do, and if that means stealing and tricking people with a bit of magic, it's better than starving in an alley or winding up in a smelly orphanage. Now that I'm here, I don't have to do that stuff!" Kyoko hummed in the affirmative, but didn't elaborate much on the subject of Homura. She focused on the subject of Mami instead. "She was pretty good at being a mentor too. Probably cause she was really lonely, so...she liked having someone who trusted in her like that. Most magical girls compete and fight over Grief Seeds, but Mami just wanted to help others. It wasn't common in magical girls to be like that." Something told Kyoko that a mentor in 'assassinations' wouldn't be nearly as nice as Mami, but she decided not to pop his bubble.

A magical girl Lunette...? Now that she really pictured it, that did actually work. Right down to the both of them being nurturing and motherly! Kyoko nodded in firm agreement, hat bobbing with her. "Not nearly as fuzzy, but just as pretty!" Ooh, and now this was the juicy part. Her fingertips grazed the smooth ruby surface of the soul gem on her chest as she spoke. "When a magical girl kills a Witch, they drop Grief Seeds. They're small and black, look kinda like little eggs. We have to use 'em to purify our Soul Gems, cause each time we use magic it darkens them. Ya can't use one single Grief Seed to many times though, or else it'll re-hatch into the same Witch again. So, we're on a constant hunt for Witches and Grief Seeds. Hence the fighting and competing." It was something of a cycle that Kyoko and other magical girls were trapped in. Hunt Witches, purify Soul Gem, begin again. The only escape was either death or turning into a Witch. Such was the price of a miracle.

"That's kinda interesting. Your commissioner must have wanted you to be really fancy."

"In a manner of speakin', yes~!" But the android left it whimsically at that and would not delve further. He was far more enamored with Kyoko's curiosity. "Toccata and Fugue!" Scaramouche repeated, peppy. "Y'know, like the classical piece, Toccata and Fugue in D Minor, written by Johann Sebastian Bach?" To be fair, she wouldn't know that. Magical girl, not musical girl. He curtly laughed, not at Kyoko's ignorance but at his erroneous assumption, and was more than happy to educate the redhead. But first, her attention must be captivated!

Reaching behind one of his shoulders, the android withdrew a huge sword and gingerly rested its curved blade upon his lap. The weapon was gigantic, almost as big as Kyoko herself, and the beauty and craftsmanship of its body, from tip to pommel, carried distinctive qualities commonly found in the ancient Middle East. "Toccata," Scaramouche began with a smile, fingers rapping playfully against the blade's polished metal, "comes from the Italian word, toccare - to touch. And in musical lingo, toccata is a piece of music typically written for a keyboard or stringed instrument; somethin' fast, somethin' spicy. Honestly, it's just braggin' rights for those with freaky fingers, hon~!" Right, right. But why name the sword Toccata? This is where Scaramouche's grin turned devilish. "I dunno 'bout you, kid, but I love irony," he confessed. It was apparent in nearly everything that made Scaramouche, well... Scaramouche! His bombastic wardrobe despite being an assassin; how he moved despite being so tall; and even how the robot appreciated jazz despite having no soul, no heart. The same was no less true for the android's collection of weapons.

"Toccata, here, is a scimitar," he distinguished. "A rather large scimitar, so you're probably thinkin' that such a grandiose blade ain't the best for somethin' quick. Well, that's where you'd be wrong, kid~! Dead wrong, much like the warlord I pried it from." Oho yes, there had been blood. Lots and lots of blood. "Hon hon hon~!" Scaramouche's grin soared to shittier new heights. "Ahhh... I remember it fondly, kid," cooling fans sighed. "It was durin' my rookie days; before I rose to the tippity-top and made a reputation for myself. Some cattle farmers waaaay out in the boonies - I'm talkin' the absolute pits, kid - were havin' trouble with a rampagin' thug who was stealin' all their prized livestock, wares, and even their untouched daughters." Yes, it had been one of those warlords.

The robot lightly shrugged and kept on grinning. "Obviously, since no one else was gonna do the dirty work due to the relative mundane aspect of it all, I was hungry for work so I took it. And boy howdy, I'm sure glad I did, kid~! Everyone in that godawful shanty town was goin' on and on 'bout how mean and tough their resident PITA was. They didn't think I was the right hit man for the job, could ya believe that!? Eh, but what can ya expect from a couple of wealthy yak farmers, huh?" Another shrug, an even bigger grin. "Anyway~! I found the guy, easy-peasy. Shit, kid... you could practically smell the guy a mile away, that's how filthy he was. Like, I doubted he bathed once a month, let's put it this way. But there I was, the sun beatin' down upon my metal frame and the sand whippin' all around me~! I found him hidin' out in his tanned hide yurt after followin' his messy tracks, openly challenged him to a duel, and did what I do best: I whipped out my lil' flute - the one everyone seems to think is silly - and crushed him with his own stinky yak, hon hon~! Bloody chunks went flyin' eeeeeverywhere." Clearly, Scaramouche was a lazy assassin. Effective, but lazy. And apparently wasn't a fan of getting himself too dirty. It was almost ironic, one could say.

"And that's how I acquired Toccata." The robot nodded to himself and looked down at Kyoko, "It's the first weapon, other than my flute, that I smack people around with. Fugue, on the other hand, is my last resort. I'm... hesitant to use it on the job unless push comes to shove." And there was a very good reason for Scaramouche's caution. "This is Fugue, by the way." A metal finger pointed to the sheathed dagger nestled beneath the robot's belt. Unlike its humongous compatriot, Fugue was fairly petite - almost deceptively so. "I based its name off another musical term. Fugue is a bit harder to explain, but it's basically a... chorus, of sorts. Like, multiple voices in music that resonate with one another, built around a theme to establish a unique but harmonious melody. It's, uh... not as confusin' as it sounds, trust me, kid!"

"...Oh!" Scaramouche eagerly nodded and cleared her confusion. "But I am from the future, kid~!" he smiled. It didn't last long, soon replaced by a demure frown. "...Well, technically speakin', I guess. If ya lived back home, you'd know that nobody had a future under Aku. He was, uh... preeeeetty destructive that way." Funny, wasn't the demon also Scaramouche's boss? The android pointedly didn't continue on the subject and cleared his throat, "...Ahem! A-Anyway, yeah. He was like Satan, but I think even Satan had rules and beliefs he stuck by. Aku was kinda... chaotic. He didn't really care about a whole lot, y'know? He apparently didn't even care about me..."

Admittedly, that stung. That stung a whole lot, but the robot was honestly used to being regarded as expendable; as a lifeless tool and nothing more. Lunette had been the first owner that broke the mold after all these long, arduous years...

A ruby heel halfheartedly kicked at a nearby pebble. "Math's complicated only 'cause it requires patience and a greater understandin' of how things work..." Scaramouche mumbled. No longer did the android seem like a beacon of sunshine, instead flirting with the pesky doldrums. "I guess bein' a robot and all, math comes to me naturally. It's, well, what I am, y'know? I'm nothin' but numbers - 1s and 0s. Whereas you, a bein' of flesh and blood, are more... visceral. Ya learn as ya go, not 'cause some programmer already downloaded the information into your head way before your first boot. Can't stick an unfeelin' number on that." Sigh... organics didn't know how good they had it. Anyway, that was enough moping. A brief exhale left his frame, flowing out of his cooling fans with a gentle breeze, and Scaramouche once again found the strength to smile. "This place has been pretty great for me too~!" In that, they both had it pretty sweet. "Aw, Mami was lonely? That's no fun... I hate bein' alone, but I'm sure ya didn't abandon her~! No sir," the robot beamed with a toothy smile, "I'm sure you and Mami killed a ton of Witches, got them Grief Seeds, and made it out just fine. You're pretty determined for a lil' punk!"

"When a magical girl kills a Witch, they drop Grief Seeds. They're small and black, look kinda like little eggs. We have to use 'em to purify our Soul Gems, cause each time we use magic it darkens them. Ya can't use one single Grief Seed to many times though, or else it'll re-hatch into the same Witch again. So, we're on a constant hunt for Witches and Grief Seeds. Hence the fighting and competing."

...What the fuck.

Scaramouche didn't mean to balk at her - really, he didn't. "And what kind of sick freak uses lil' girls in such a deplorable manner?" said he, the ex-minion of an all-powerful demon lord. "I'm... assumin' there's a grand reason for all this unnecessary, well, grief?"

"Y'know, like the classical piece, Toccata and Fugue in D Minor, written by Johann Sebastian Bach?"

Nah, that didn't ring any bells. ...Maybe the Bach part, he was a famous old musician! But the piece itself? Kyoko couldn't even conjure up a plausible tune. Makes sense that a nerd like Scaramouche would name his weapons after music. When the robot withdrew his sword and laid it out for her to see, the teenager gasped! Leaning in with interest, her fingers hovered over the curved blade. Not quite touching, but definitely tempted to! She could remember old stories and folk tales with heroes who used such a weapon, the curve very distinct in the inked drawings! "It looks kickass!" She wouldn't have been able to pick out that word to be Italian, but it fit with the android's European shtick. "I get it. Like, you can move it real fast and 'touch' people's flesh!" In a manner of speaking, at least! In occasions such as this, even the bullheaded redhead could appreciate irony!

As if it wasn't already cool for him to show off his weapons, he began to give her the story behind it too! Kyoko shuffled a little closer, eyes wide and ready to listen! Don't skimp on the gorier details, Scaramouche! With each word, the teen's overactive mind painted a vivid picture. The cattle farmers in her imagination lived in a desert, with little Holstein cows! "What a pig!" The redhead sneered, and imagined one of the 'untouched daughters' punching the Warlord right in the face! Serves him right. With great hesitation, the robot had been hired to beat up this punk! Smelly and gross, like all pigs are, the jazzy android tracked him down and squished him under his own fat yak! The redhead giggled, smirking lightly. "I bet he smelled better, thanks to that yak!" A weird method to kill a guy, but you couldn't argue with the results!

Toccata had been pilfered from that gross man, in much better hands now! It didn't even carry the stink of that guy anymore. Fugue wasn't shown off the way Toccata was, it remained sheathed and tight under the robot's belt. Kyoko's gaze tilted down, examining the black cover curiously. "A little dagger?" Why wouldn't he start with that, save Toccata for last? The name referred to a chorus, multiple voices in harmony. Feet kicked as the teenager racked her mind for possibilities. Why would he name a rinky dink dagger Fugue? "Does it shoot out multiple daggers as if they were bullets?" It was the best thing she could think of!

"Oooh...a future Earth!" One ruled by this Aku! The demon was destructive, in Scaramouche's words, and Kyoko nodded her head in sage agreement. Religion didn't really peg demons as being the most generous of creatures... Whereas Satan had his skewed values, beliefs, and rules, Aku was chaotic without a care in the world! Not even for the loyal who worked for him! Such was the nature of evil. The teenager scoffed, giving the sad sack a light punch to the arm. "He must be pretty dumb then. Even I care about ya, and I tried to kick you in the groin 20 minutes ago!"

It was strange for her, to have such a deep discussion over the nature of mathematics. Active and curious as ever, the girl's eyes seemed to flicker as she absorbed what the mopey robot had to say. "It's not bad that it comes naturally to you. Sometimes people are like that too. They're just crazy smart at math! I'm not like that. It's way too complicated for me. But that doesn't make math dumb...it's just not for me. So cheer up! Cause even if I beat you up, you're still better at math than me." Kyoko winked at the robot openly, attempting to buck him back up! Why would he be so sad about math anyway? Was it a point of robo-pride?

As soon as those words left Scaramouche's mouth, the teenager seemed to wilt under his beaming gaze. Her lips dropped down in a pained grimace, snapping her gaze away from him quickly. Both hands clasped at the hat and pulled it snugly against her scalp, like a turtle trying to retreat into its shell. Kyoko couldn't bare to sit under that...that... Beaming happiness. This robot had faith in her, believed the best in her somehow! How could he be so sure? Especially when he was...so wrong? "I..." The redhead drew her knees close, suddenly feeling very low and small. "I did abandon her... I just got so angry, I lashed out at her and I shouldn't have. I said things I shouldn't have, and she tried to make me stay. But I..." Jaw clenching, her throat suddenly felt really tight. "I was just really sad, and upset... I broke away from her and by the time I tried to make it right...she'd died." Welp, Scaramouche wasn't alone in the doldrums now.

"And what kind of sick freak uses lil' girls in such a deplorable manner? I'm... assumin' there's a grand reason for all this unnecessary, well, grief?"

"His name's Kyubey." Her voice croaked, face still hidden under the hat. "He was a white ferret-cat thing. He comes to girls and offers to grant wishes. He just leaves out a whole lot of important details." That little rat bastard. Sighing softly, Kyoko's back straightened. "As for the reason...Homura tried to explain it to me. And it's...weird? There's some thing called 'entropy' in the universe? And the process of becomin' a magical girl and killin' Witches like...releases a lot of energy out into the Universe because of the emotions tied to 'em. Magical girls are beings of hope, Witches, despair. Yada, yada...it's weird. And, again, that rat fink left all this stuff out." Getting confused yet, Scaramouche?

Well, Kyoko may not be a fan of musical history and terminology, but at least she could appreciate a mighty fine weapon! "Right~?" the android concurred with a happy nod, sunlight reflecting off his polished dome. "When I saw it on the schmuck, I just knew I had to have it. It's not like he was gonna be needin' it much anyway, hon hon~!" Scaramouche gave his fingers a crisp snap. Looky here, the magical girl wasn't a dummy after all. "But yeah, you're right on the trolley, kid! Toccata does the dicin', I do the slicin'~! I, uh... ain't a fan of gettin' dirty, y'know?" Hey, dry cleaning was expensive and Scaramouche was an assassin on a budget. Ain't no shame in balancing a checkbook!

"A little dagger? Does it shoot out multiple daggers as if they were bullets?"

Tut! Only from the imaginative mind of a child...

"Hon hon~! Nah," he smiled, fanning a hand. "Fugue doesn't do anythin' like that, kid. I'd love to show ya, but..." The robot paused and frowned to himself, contemplatively tapping his chin. "Well, no offense or nothin', but usin' Fugue around your crystalline soul gem wouldn't be very Gucci. I hope ya understand that we're sparrin', not throwin' down to the death. Maybe some other time, huh?" And there was going to be another time, because Kyoko had just admitted perhaps the most touchy-feely thing she's ever said to the dopey robot! A loud gasp escaped Scaramouche's throat, optics wide. "Y... Ya care about me~?" Oh yes, Kyoko. You've committed the worst mistake of all: making a friend! The android's grin practically threatened to split his face in halves. "Aw, that's so nice of ya~!" he said with a melodious trill, hands clasping together. "And hey, I care about ya too, kid! Why d'ya think I feed ya and make sure you're not, like, a starvin' vagabond roamin' the wilds, or that you're too alone sometimes? I may be a dummy, but I ain't - OW!" Holy shit, that hurt! He wilted forward with a pathetic whimper, toes curling in their boots. Aluminum, Kyoko, aluminum!

Call him saccharine, call him a fool. Call him whatever you want, but that was the truth and Scaramouche had no reason to lie or obstruct it. If this were Earth, AKA: the hellish post-apocalyptic landscape known as home, the android would've been left to his fickle, cruel devices. Who needs buddies when everyone was gonna bite the bullet anyway, huh? But this was Portal Breach; a place of new beginnings, new friends, new stories just waiting to be written! And if one of the chapters in Scaramouche's life was about befriending a hotheaded magical girl and keeping each other company, so be it.

"Oh! Ya must be referrin' to mathematical savants," he pointed out. Not... quite the same as a robot, but there were a few similarities. Scaramouche merely nodded and let the matter be, idly rubbing the spot where Kyoko's meaty fist struck. "I guess survivin' is more your shtick, huh?" What an odd concept... If Kyoko was from an Earth (a modern but relatively simple one), then... why would a young kid like her need to survive so badly?

Was it because of the Witches...? She surely had a family to take care of her, right?

"I... I did abandon her... I just got so angry, I lashed out at her and I shouldn't have. I said things I shouldn't have, and she tried to make me stay. But I... I was just really sad, and upset... I broke away from her and by the time I tried to make it right...she'd died."

...Oh.

Oh.

The robot closed his mouth shut, teeth clicking. Well, shit. That had been a completely wrong assumption on Scaramouche's part. Him and his big mouth... They were having a breakthrough and then he goes and mucks it up! God, maybe he really was a dummy?

"Er, well..." Not one for having silence linger, the android gave it his all to fix the problem he had created. Scaramouche rubbed the back of his plated neck and put on a tiny smile. "Don't beat yourself too hard about this, kid," he gently encouraged. "We all make mistakes, y'know? Every single one of us, even robots who ought to know better! And I'm sure that if Mami was here, she'd be proud of ya. I know I would be! You're fightin' Witches and savin' people, you're stickin' around and bein' a good friend, and you're stayin' true to yourself. Honestly, what more could anyone ask of ya, huh?"Now he let a moment of quiet lapse between them, knowing Kyoko would need a few seconds to herself and her thoughts. Not too many, though! Soon the android was once again talking Kyoko's ears off. "I think the greatest thing ya can do, kid, for both yourself and Mami, is to not repeat the same mistake twice." Sound advice, no? There was nothing complicated about it. "Like I tell people, life ain't meant to be stuck in the past, where a lot of our demons and failings lie. It's meant to be savored - to be a work of art in progress while looking to the future! So we'll take a few missteps and stumble a bit... No biggie! We just pick ourselves back up, dust the crud off our fabulous boots, and go right back to it! I like to think that experience provides the buildin' blocks we need to keep movin' forward, but also to serve as warnings should we ever lose our way."

He... supposed that was tremendously naive of him. Naive and hopeful. But what was life without a little bit of innocence of hope, hm? It would be dark... It would be bleak... It would be a world overrun by Witches, or a world left forever beneath Aku's shadow. It wouldn't be a life worth living, and that's not the kind of fate Scaramouche wanted for Kyoko. For either of them.

"His name's Kyubey. He was a white ferret-cat thing. He comes to girls and offers to grant wishes. He just leaves out a whole lot of important details. As for the reason...Homura tried to explain it to me. And it's...weird? There's some thing called 'entropy' in the universe? And the process of becomin' a magical girl and killin' Witches like...releases a lot of energy out into the Universe because of the emotions tied to 'em. Magical girls are beings of hope, Witches, despair. Yada, yada...it's weird. And, again, that rat fink left all this stuff out."

"That's dumb!" Scaramouche snorted. So much for thinking before he spoke. "That's dumb and sexist. Who said boys aren't emotional, huh!? I dunno 'bout you, kid, but this reeks of bein' a stereotypical Japanese anime." She'd easily know the type; the kind marketable to a wide audience due to the cast of characters being cute, doe-eyed young women. In short, lolicon. The android would crinkle his great metal beak of a nose if he could. "Well, you are a magical girl..." he muttered, arms folding across his chest. "I guess this is all just par for the course, y'know? Cutesy kids, a deceptively innocent-looking antagonist, a thousand horrible ways for the lovable cast to die... Yep~! Just your typical, everyday Japanese anime."

"I never get to steal weapons from my enemies, but maybe one day! It'd be like kick ass trophies!" Definitely a useful little habit, since it earned Scaramouche a couple of cool weapons! What a shame that the Witches only drop their Grief Seeds. "If I ever do, we gotta compare!" Right on the trolley? It was an odd phrase, but it made the girl smirk in amusement. She kinda liked the way this guy talked! "I'm kinda lucky that way. With the spear I'm never close enough to like...get splashed with anything gross. I wouldn't wanna get covered in that smelly jerk's juices either." What a rancid piggy.

As Scaramouche elaborated some on Fugue's nature, Kyoko found herself frowning lightly, fingertips again feeling at the Soul Gem's smooth surface. "What? Ya mean, that little dagger could shatter my gem?" Yeesh! It was cool but at the same time... the teenager stole a quick glance down at the gem adorning her chest. Lucky for her that all these years, she'd managed not to get it shattered. And how funny, to think that this was...it. Her soul. Her everything. It was kinda strange to think about, after witnessing what happened to Sayaka. Without her Soul Gem, the girl's body dropped dead! So despite everything she could feel, such as the ebbing pain from the spar, the smooth surface of the jewel, and even the sensation of the hat atop her scalp... If this gem were separated from her, there'd be none of that. "Yeah...I'm not lookin' forward to seeing how the death stuff here works, and I'm not eager to find out today."

"Y... Ya care about me~?"

Predictable. The nerd was absolutely over the moon now! Far from displeased by Scaramouche's reaction, the teenager straightened her spine and put on a haughty facade. "Don't make a big deal about it or anythin', you had me at 'want some food?'." Was Kyoko easy? Relatively so, when somebody knew how to handle her. And obviously, Baka-bot knew how! Do assassins typically run around, feeding starving children, or was she the exception because of her smart mouth? "I like that place you and the kitty have! It's pretty cool. I guess your cooking's pretty good too." One friendly punch later and the robot had gone from wide-eyed innocence to wilting and whining like a baby! "Hey, I wasn't that hard! ...I think." She briefly looked over her knuckles for any scrapes or scuffs from his metal skin, and then flicked her wrist with a flourish. "Guess I'm stronger than I thought! Bodes well for our spar, huh?"

"I guess survivin' is more your shtick, huh?"

"Basically." The redhead shrugged softly, relatively at peace with her lot in life. "Been like that for several years now." For Kyoko, it was just a fact. Japan wasn't very kind when you were a homeless teenager without a family. Too young to get a job and the basic necessities of life required money. Add in constant hunting for Witches to keep your Soul Gem pure, and the redhead's life had become a constant hunt. Not that she really minded. In some ways, she thrived in such an environment, reaching new strengths as a magical girl! But at what cost? Mami was obviously one of them, as Kyoko's start down that path meant turning her back on a trusted friend.

When the robot began to speak, trying to bolster her spirits, the teenager couldn't help but scoff to herself softly. Not necessarily because she found what he said stupid but just because... He had no idea just how many mistakes Kyoko had made, let alone the consequences. What happened with Mami was bad, but there were worse things to be revealed. A fight with a friend had nothing on what had happened to Kyoko's family! Preferring not to go down that route today, she raised the brim of the hat slowly as Scaramouche continued. Eye contact established again, the normal brash redhead looked hesitant. "I guess she'd be proud...I'm basically doing the stuff she used to do." And the yellow-haired teenager would totally forgive her. Trust would still be something to work on, but Mami was honestly such a desperately lonely person. And she'd absolutely be proud! "So, I just gotta try and...actually talk about my feelings instead of lashing out blindly?" She paused, as if considering this. "Hm...I can do that. If it means not making that same mistake. Cause I don't wanna do that..."

WHAP!

"Ow!" Kyoko hissed, and an instant change seemed to come over the girl. Where before she had been curled up tight like a turtle, now she was unfolding from herself. Despite the pout on her face, the magical girl's body language wasn't tense anymore. Her legs continued to dangle over the edge of the bench and resumed kicking in a light rhythm. A hand clasped over where she'd been punched, giving it a rub. "Well, now it's not so Gucci! My arm's a goner now!" Despite the 'tude, Kyoko was grinning to herself and she didn't exactly have an amputation situation going on. The robot's words struck a chord, and she would heed his advice!

"Don't ask me! Kyubey's a big fat liar so...maybe he just goes after girls because they're easier to trick or something. Maybe boys would ask more follow-up questions." Hey, it'd explain why there were no magical boys! Upon her very existence being compared to an anime, Kyoko cackled lightly. "We do kinda look like we're awesome cosplayers, huh? Just look at this!" Pinching the edge of her dress, she briefly lifted it as if to show off the delicate ruffles along the edge. "I don't even know how this works! Magical girls just kinda...get an outfit! Maybe it's based on what we think is cool...cause I think this is pretty cool." Ultimate badass, Kyoko Sakura. "I know you're joking, but that's pretty much right on the money! Apparently I was supposed to die! Weird, huh? 'Nother reason why I like this place." Looks like you weren't alone in the 'I died in my homeworld' camp, Scaramouche!

"Ya should~! Pinchin' weapons off fallen enemies is not only a great way to expand your offensive repertoire, but it also invites fabulous braggin' opportunities down at the local honky-tonks." A heavy pause. "...Uh, I guess in your case it'd be a playground or schoolyard. Somethin' kiddo-friendly." If Kyoko swaggered into a dive bar to boast and rub elbows with its seedy patrons, he was not gonna take responsibility. "Of course it can shatter your gem!" Scaramouche grinned. The robot seemed largely oblivious to the magical girl's apprehension. Or did he...? What the android remarked next ought to chill Kyoko's blood. "But I don't need a weapon to kill ya," he continued proudly. "If I so wanted, kid, I could shatter your lil' soul gem with the power of my voice alone~! You'd be dead before ya hit the ground." Now wasn't that just a lovely thought?

Fortunately for the feisty hothead, Scaramouche was neither interested in committing murder nor earning a spot on people's shit list. "Me either~!" For a killer robot, Scaramouche was unusually chipper. He was also fairly nonchalant about certain... things. "And so long as ya mind your P's and Q's, I ain't gonna cut ya into itty-bitty pieces and serve ya in a scrumdiddlyumptious stew. Lunette probably wouldn't approve... I'd have to settle for wild hogs or a glass crusher." Imaginative ways to kill a person and dispose of their body was one of them.

"Don't make a big deal about it or anythin', you had me at 'want some food?'."

"Psssh!" Who was she fooling, huh? Though he saw right through Kyoko's 'tough girl' facade, Scaramouche was a good sport and played along. The android was a decent actor whenever it suited him. "You're just like a stray cat," he teased with a sharp click of his tongue. "Ya hiss and piss all over the place, bitin' whoever's stupid enough to pet ya, and then turn real sweet whenever that dinner bell rings. Vicious~!" And no, it wasn't the norm for assassins. Even for Scaramouche, admittedly. But the magical girl was a friend - someone who didn't have a writ of execution hanging over her head or cross the robot beyond redemption. Thus, he didn't mind hanging out with Kyoko and giving her the occasional warm meal. "Hmph!" Scaramouche pursed his lips and feigned a sour grimace. "I'll confess: you're stronger than ya look, kid. It must be how this place operates, 'cause it's either that or your fancy-schmancy magical girl powers." Or, you know, because Scaramouche was a wimp and didn't want to openly admit it. In front of someone like Kyoko? No way! She'd crow and whoop until the sun imploded.

"So, I just gotta try and...actually talk about my feelings instead of lashing out blindly?"

Oh right, they were having a heart-to-power supply chat. "Well, I mean..." Scaramouche casually shrugged. "Talkin' out your issues is a more productive way of overcomin' problems than, say, doin' somethin' you'll surely regret 'cause you were too pigheaded or angry to think clearly. I give Lunette this advice all the time: if ya wanna get better, for yourself and others, then ya gotta understand the importance of open communication and self-reflection. It's fairly common sense, y'know?" For a chatterbox like Scaramouche, anyway. "And I kinda believe, y'know, that maybe co-existin' wouldn't be so difficult if folks weren't afraid of bein' comfortable in their own skin. Like, sure? Openin' yourself emotionally can make ya vulnerable and a target for those lookin' to hurt ya? But ya really can't worry about that 'cause it's your life, not theirs. Everyone's gotta be mature for life to be copacetic." And that, sadly, was extremely improbable within organic societies. Almost as unlikely as Kyoko needing an amputation. What a big baby! Scaramouche's punches were currently like little gnat bites...

"Orrrr, maybe this Kyubey goes after young girls 'cause they're more marketable~!" C'mon, kid: this was Japan they were talking about here. Optics regarded the magical girl's attire with mild interest, the android considering it from a fashionista's perspective. "Hm! No clear signs of armor, hence why ya prefer medium-to-long range attacks. Fluid in design and not heavy; great for skirmishin or dartin' around larger opponents. Knee-high boots with folded down collars... cuffed sleeves... ruffles... stockings... Very baroque yet contemporary! A fairly standard approach to the fantastical 'magical girl' trope." All in all, the outfit was rather girly for someone like Kyoko. "Hon hon~! And here I thought you'd totally be a tomboy, gambolin' around in breeches while toutin' a cutlass."

Seemed to jive with her fighting style, didn't it?

"I know you're joking, but that's pretty much right on the money! Apparently I was supposed to die! Weird, huh? 'Nother reason why I like this place."

Gadzooks, the comparisons kept on coming. "Holy shit... Funny ya mention that, kid, 'cause I was also supposed to die!" Scaramouche's frown said it all: he was nothing more than a literal plot device in his own canon! "Like, seriously, can ya believe that!?" the robot gawked in disbelief, optics wide. "Me, the fabulous Scaramouche, buyin' the farm 'cause that damn Samurai got his stupid sword back in the most contrived, piss-easy method imaginable! He got a shave and a haircut and that's it! Meanwhile, I apparently stripped my metal ass bare to reach my boss, bravin' Hell and high waters, only for him to completely blow my head off! Like, what kind of gratitude is that!? I tell ya, kid, I tell ya..." He shook that very same head and tutted. "Ain't nobody respect a hired mook - nobody! It's downright shameful."

Ding!

...Eh? Oh yeah! Scaramouche almost forgot. "Ooh~! My battery's all juiced up and ready for round two! I'll be takin' that back, thank you~!" He reclaimed his paddy hat with a happy grin and rose, servos whining. "Ahh... ain't nothin' like havin' a brand spankin' new battery after all these years of dirty work," sighed the android. "Now I don't gotta wait so long for a full charge. It's like a new lease on life, y'know?" Er... well, no. Kyoko didn't have a battery. Still! The magical girl could surely understand if she rubbed a few neurons together. "Are ya ready to have your ass whooped by a toaster in stylish heels~?" Scaramouche taunted, glancing down at Kyoko with a particularly shitty look. "C'mon! I'll even let ya get in a few hits, but only if ya promise not to ruin my duds. Dressin' like this ain't exactly cheap!" In fact, everything he wore was probably one-of-a-kind... That's what happens when all the multiverses go bye-bye.

"I do love some braggin' opportunities!" Kyoko smirked widely, tilting Scaramouche's hat to the side in an attempt to affect a confident pose. Puffed out chest included! All of her bravado wilted at the robot's minor correction. "Pfft...weapons don't have any place on a playground! I'll wind up either makin' those kiddies shit their pants or get attacked by overprotective parents!" Not exactly great for bragging rights. Adjusting the hat to tilt down, the teen pouted to herself lightly. "The Sanctuary's a good place to brag..." That was a good balance between a bar and a playground!

"Of course it can shatter your gem! But I don't need a weapon to kill ya,"

At those words, the magical girl's hair seemed to shiver, even her long red hair seemed to fluff up! Kyoko went from idly stroking her own gem to covering it entirely with her palm. How could the android be so cheerful about how easily he could kill her?! And could he really...? Her eyes narrowed, eyeing her companion with scrutiny. He didn't seem to be bluffing, but how could a voice do that? Was his voice that shrill? It was certainly obnoxious...but could it really shatter her gem? "If you do that, I'll come back a week later and kick your ass into the ocean!" The teenager eventually huffed, deciding not to test fate in this situation. Brr... What a spooky man! "Good luck finding a wild hog around here!" Magical girl stew was somehow both disgusting and...made her hungry!

"You caught me!" Kyoko took the teasing easily enough, all smiles at his very flattering comparison. Hand curled tight like a paw, she brought it up to her cheek in an impression of a maneki-neko! Even her smile seemed rather cat-like. "Nyan~! Now that you fed me, I'm here for good!" Now you better keep her happy or else she's gonna turn the pissing up to eleven! Her swinging legs seemed to get a bit more bounce to them, giving the robot a wide smirk. "Yeah, that's how this place works! I'm still not even at my full strength yet. Between you 'n me, last time I had a spar, I lost. But something tells me this time will be different!" Would Scaramouche prove her wrong, or would she crush him like a soda can? Who knows, but perhaps they'd find out soon! Whenever he was done charging that is. Boy, he was worse than a cellphone!

"I give Lunette this advice all the time: if ya wanna get better, for yourself and others, then ya gotta understand the importance of open communication and self-reflection. It's fairly common sense, y'know?"

Geez... This stuff really gets deep. How could Scaramouche talk about this as if it was so easy? How many jobs did this guy have?! Assassin, cook, therapist... Lunette had herself a real catch. Playing idly with the smooth edges of the solar panel hat, Kyoko considered his advice. "That sounds real easy, but what if there's stuff you just don't wanna think about, let alone talk about? It's not even that big a deal. I can be the kind of magical girl Mami'd be proud of and that's that. Sometimes stuff just can't be fixed and dwelling on it makes things worse, so it's better to just live your life and keep going. ...That's how I've been getting by anyway." She shrugged lightly, a little unsure. This was the first time she was sitting down and talking to an actual adult about this sort of stuff. It felt...strange. Not in a bad way, but Kyoko did feel weirdly vulnerable. The android was a fairly jokey guy, hard to take seriously, but now he really did feel like an adult.

"More marketable because they're kawaii-desu? Maybe! Boys are only marketable when they're girly looking adults!" You know the kind, Scaramouche. The bishounen. Kyoko's legs crossed at the ankles as the robot looked her over, striking a small pose as he critiqued her outfit! "Pretty badass, huh?" A snort sounded, head shaking in amusement. "I do enough of that in my typical clothes! Minus the cutlass part. Otherwise, I dunno! I just really like this. Makes me feel big and fancy. Sorta like a lady-knight!" One with a big ass spear! Though jumping around, looking like some sort of pirate? That could be fun. ...Ooh, now there's an idea for Halloween next year!

GAAAASP!"What?! You too? Holy shit!" Kyoko literally slapped her own knee with a huff! "I can't believe it! We both were gonna die! And we came here instead! What the fuck." That was so weird! The details of Scaramouche's fated death was hard to really catch, and it was written all over the teenager's face. Some Samurai got a sword, and a shave, and a haircut...? Then Aku went ahead and blew the robot's head off! It was certainly rude but...kinda expected from somebody named 'Evil'. Still, Kyoko gave Scaramouche a soothing pat on the shoulder. "That sucks, buddy--eh?" Was that a ding?

"Oh, you're finally all charged up, huh?" Smirking, Kyoko briefly ran a hand over her own scalp to smooth out a bit of hat hair. "As if! I'm not gonna get toasted by you. I'll pull your plug first!" She taunted back, hopping up off of the bench and eagerly jogging over to where she'd left her spear! Both hands grasped the hilt, and with a sharp tug, she pulled it free from the gravel. "But you're covered with duds! Where am I supposed to be able to hit you? Your face?" That jacket was pretty long, his ruby boots spoke for themselves, and even the top of Scaramouche's head was covered by his special hat! "Doesn't really seem fair but if you insist..." If he was going to let her get in a few hits, then so be it! Spinning her spear like a baton, Kyoko aimed the head behind herself and charged at the robot head on! The teenager had some resemblance to a jousting knight! However, instead of aiming to knock over another knight astride a horse, the end of that spear was aiming right for the robot's oversized jaw! The initial strike was followed up by an identical one before she stepped from his personal space. Now that she knew how the android fought, the magical girl was attempting to keep light on her feet. She bounced in place like a boxer, ready to dodge and dance again! With any luck, she'd be the 'lead' this time!

---HP: (248/290) AP: (41/48)

Target: Toaster with the most-er! Action: The spar is RESUMING! Two smacks to that big chin with the butt of her spear!

Like baka-bot, like baka. "Hon~! Fine, the Sanctuary's a good enough place as any, too," Scaramouche conceded. What a pouty brat, this Kyoko! But, yes. Yes, the robot could shatter the magical girl's gem and think nothing of it. Ahem, assassin? And, more importantly, an assassin who worked for the most evil of evil bosses? Can't exactly possess scruples if the one cutting the checks didn't have any himself! "The ocean, huh~? I dunno, kid... That's assumin' you can catch me first." Kyoko was quick but she wasn't that quick; just review their spar and tally up all her misses! "And I can so find a wild hog," he huffed, nose proudly stuck up. "It ain't exactly hard trackin' animals, y'know? No more different than people~!" It's like no one believed his last profession, sheesh.

Aw, but that maneki-neko impression was downright adorable! Too bad Kyoko was still a lil' goblin, and she better not piss all over the place or he'll get an electric fence. "Hm, so this place really does weaken ya... Far out." Scaramouche wouldn't pretend to guess why; he'd be shooting blanks all day. "And ya lost, eh? Better prepare yourself for another harsh 'L'~!" Ha ha, sob... it was going to be him, let's not kid ourselves.

"That sounds real easy, but what if there's stuff you just don't wanna think about, let alone talk about? It's not even that big a deal. I can be the kind of magical girl Mami'd be proud of and that's that. Sometimes stuff just can't be fixed and dwelling on it makes things worse, so it's better to just live your life and keep going. ...That's how I've been getting by anyway."

Newsflash, kid: Scaramouche was an adult. Well, at least mature enough (and certainly ancient enough) to be considered one. "Mm, I dunno..." he muttered quietly, optics directed at the sky. The android crossed his arms and frowned. "Sounds more like denial to me, y'know? It's fine and dandy to keep goin' and all, but ya can't always shove things under the rug. Sometimes, kid, ya gotta sit down and face the facts as they are. If ya don't, you'll just be livin' a lie and risk, well... breakin' down." And believe him, he's seen a frightening breakdown or two. Cyan diodes flickered and once again settled on the redhead. "I guess what I'm tryin' to say here, kid, is that you'll wanna make peace with your inner demons and bury the hatchet. You'll find that life becomes way easier once ya do, I shit ya not." Alright, that was enough somber talk. Scaramouche instantly switched gears and became all smiles as if none of their grave conversation ever happened. "Ick, bishounen! Organics can be real sick freaks... But yeah, I guess your getup is pretty badass. For a lil' snotty girl, that is~!" He stuck out his tongue and pulled down a digital eyelid. "Oh, I'm sorry... a lady-knight, nyeeeeeh!"

And alas, poor Scaramouche! He too was fated to die, never again mourned or remembered. The magical girl's potty mouth didn't elicit a single reaction out of the android. Truly, they were in like-minded company. "I know, can ya believe that!?" he scoffed, incredulous. "I'm tellin' ya kid, we deserved better. Much better! Maybe that's why we're here, huh? At least we get extra chances for a longer, more prosperous existence! Knowin' what I do now, I'd awfully hate to miss the portal and end up a headless metal husk..." And to think, Scaramouche had been steaming mad to learn of his abduction. Hah!

"As if! I'm not gonna get toasted by you. I'll pull your plug first!"

The android couldn't help but roll his optics. "Mhm, that's what they all say~!" And then his opponents died. Not this one, though. This one had earned herself a slice of humble pie. By the time Kyoko had plotted her moves and enacted them, Scaramouche was already three steps ahead of their game.

Fwip!

Fwip!

"Hon hon hon!" His cackling only added insult to injury. "Nothin' but air, kid! C'mon, are ya even tryin'~?" True to form, Scaramouche was ever the grinning charlatan and seemed as fleeting as the western wind. "Sure, I'm covered head to toe in fabulous attire," the robot elaborated, "but that don't mean ya gotta scuff up my damn face. Get creative~!" He certainly was. With a shrill whistle and a twirl on those ruby heels, Kyoko's discarded spear came flying into Scaramouche's awaiting hand. Uh-oh... "Think fast, kid~!"FWOOSH! And off the javelin went, piercing through the air with a harrowing whistle at the magical girl! It wasn't all that came her way, either... By the time Kyoko either sidestepped or was punished for her lethargy, the android was already on the offensive with his scimitar raised. That was a big sword... A really big sword, and its lethal edge was about to come slicing down right on the magical girl's head! "Don't blink~!"

Ah yes, all shall bow before Kyoko's might! The teenager grinned widely, excited by the prospect of bragging to all who'd wander into the Sanctuary. Fools, thinking they would be having a relaxing time. Yeah right! It'd be nice to have a victory that wasn't just against a Witch... "Tsk!" The girl tossed her head back, ponytail slipping over a shoulder as the borrowed hat went cockeyed. "Could so. If I really wanted to, I could trap you good! And if you kill me, I'm definitely gonna try to corner you!" As for the how? She'd leave that a secret. Can't reveal all of her tricks at once! Scaramouche got huffy, apparently offended by her doubt in his abilities! The magical girl covered her mouth with a hand, hiding a toothy smile but not her childish giggles. "If you want to find a wild hog, you just need a mirror!" Perhaps she ought not put her fist into the hornet's nest, but she was headstrong! Besides, this robot was funny.

What a dummy, only now realizing that this place made him weaker. "No way! I'm gonna get a 'W'!" So long as Scaramouche didn't try to forfeit 'just because' or nothing. Even if she didn't like missing, Kyoko would rather he give it his all! An easy win was more shameful than a loss! Things got a tad more serious though, the robot looking up towards the sky and frowning to himself. It reminded her of her father, in those times when she'd make a mistake or say something wrong. The comparison made her uncomfortable, the teen's face scrunching up. "Denial?" How could it be denial?! She knew how things were, and that was that! Ah, but then he mentioned peace. Candy apple eyes dropped back down to the gravel, lips pursing in a deep pout. Kyoko remembered lessons about making peace with the past in order to move on, her dad frequently have such advice to people who lost their families after funerals... It seemed so easy, when she was younger. So simple. Now? A swift kick made the gravel clatter, the toe of her boot rubbing a path through the debris. Her body language almost seemed dejected, refusing to say anything more on the subject. At least, not right now.

It was easier to poke fun with baka-bot, trading barbs and insults. A little pink tongue blepped out at the robot, and the girl pulled down on her actual eyelid. "Nyeeeeeeh! Lady-knight is right and I'll make sure you remember it by the time this fight's done!" If she had to, Kyoko could tattoo it on his face so he wouldn't forget it! "I'd hate to miss being sucked up in that portal. I'd rather be here kicking your ass than be all dead!" How boring, right? Was there even an afterlife for magical girls? Yeesh...she'd take this world over Purgatory or Hell.

Fwip!

Fwip!

"Ugh!" Kyoko stomped her boots into the gravel, the rocks shifting beneath her noisily. How could a guy in heels be so fast?! "You jerk! You fat jerk!" How irritating! The robot urged her to get creative, displaying his own skills at such by whistling. The discarded second spear came flying through the air through the force of it alone, landing deftly into his awaiting hand. The teenager sneered. "Not everybody can do crazy voice shit! Get creative with my FIST." Perhaps that was the worst time to get an attitude! Air whipped around metal, whistling as it came right for her! Kyoko kicked herself to the side, the head of the spear slamming into her side and tearing through fabric. A very shallow cut came from the attack, too shallow to bleed! With barely anytime to breathe, her eyes caught the glint of metal about to strike down! The teen moved fast enough to make even Scaramouche proud, spinning like a ballerina to avoid the hit! Whoa, when the hell did he even take out that thing?! "Toccata, right?" Kyoko commented as she landed behind him, grip tightening on the lance. In a swift move, she aimed the butt of her spear once again but this time, the girl aimed each strike at the back of the robot's knees! "Nice to beat you, Toccata!"

---HP: (244/290) AP: (39/48)

Target: Scaaaramouche!Action: Hitting each knee with the blunt end of her spear!

All shall bow before the might of Kyoko the Brat! Except, you know, smart-mouthed robots who were clearly her better. "Psssh~! As if, kid! Cornerin' me is like cornerin' the wind." As the magical girl's laughable attempts at hitting the robot can surely attest. How many times had Kyoko landed a blow, hm? Scaramouche rests his case.

"If you want to find a wild hog, you just need a mirror!"

...Gasp! OUTRAGE.

Shocked beyond all belief, the robot gawked at Kyoko with his mouth agape. "You did not...!" Oh yes she did, and Scaramouche clutched his chest as if pained, feigning tremendous indignity. "Me, the fabulous Scaramouche, a p-p-p... Pig!" he squawked. Holy shit, talk about a first degree burn! If ever there was a reason to smear the pavement with Kyoko's insolent face, this was definitely a contender. "I'll show you who's a nasty hog!" Scaramouche growled, his fists rattling in anger. He mad. "Ain't no one - no one! - who gets away with insultin' my ragtag honor in such a flippant way!" The robot may be many things but a lowly pig was assuredly not one of them. Not by a long shot, just ask Lunette! "Enough shit-talkin', kid - let's dance!"

Predictably, Kyoko had all the grace and dexterity of a rampaging baboon. She was also unsurprisingly obtuse. "Tch, when will you dumb organics ever learn?" Scaramouche couldn't help but sneer. Honestly, it's like everyone around this joint thought he was blowing hot air. By the time Kyoko thought herself clever and jabbed at the robot's flank, she was swiftly punished for her incompetence. All it took was a well-timed backflip, just one, and the magical girl's offense crumpled like paper in the rain. His smarmy grin was the last thing Kyoko saw as Scaramouche vaulted over her unsuspecting head, a synthetic cackle ringing in those pink ears.

The android's metal hand found just enough time to slap the back of her dense melon with a satisfying - WHACK!

"Hon hon hon~! Like stealin' candy from a baby," he brazenly jeered. Ruby heels landed with an effortless clop as Scaramouche once again took control of their antagonistic dance, Toccata merrily tossed between his hands as if the scimitar were a simple twig. "I keep tellin' ya morons," he remarked with a nasty smile. Venom dripped from the contempt lurking beneath his cheery facade. "I'm the best, kid. The best~! You organics are nothin' compared to me." Ah, but that was a song and dance for another time, another performance. Optics remained fixated on the magical girl, narrowing ever so slightly. "Y'know, I was gonna let ya off easy," Scaramouche confessed, "but that whole 'pig' thing soured my mood~! Let's crank things up to eleven, shall we?" If Kyoko thought she had heard it all, nothing prepared the magical girl for what came next. The android cracked a toothy grin and tossed his scimitar up high. "Skee-bop-bee-bi-doop-a-da-heeeeey~! My oh my, what a wonderful daaaay~!" He sang. And whenever Scaramouche sang...

Wh-r-r-r-rrrrr...

Suddenly, the javelin clasped within Kyoko's hands quivered beneath her fingertips, jerking and tugging, yanking and swiping! No longer did the magical girl's weapon obey its master, and it defiantly wrenched out of Kyoko's grip with a harsh snap! But that wasn't all... A second glimmer of red picked itself off the coarse dirt and weightlessly floated towards its companion, one lance instantly becoming two. Their razor-sharp points trained themselves on the magical girl and drew backward; like arrows patiently awaiting release. Get the picture now, kid?

A deathly quiet consumed the next handful of seconds before - "Hm, hm, hmmm~!" Ever the whimsical jester, Scaramouche winked and swung his arms to and fro. "Let's get to slicin' and a-dicin', hackin' and a-slashin', swingin' and a-bashin'~! Ooh-wah-zee-shoo-dip-a-dee-dooo~! Don't look now, kid, but here comes round two~!"

With a snap of his fingers and a shrill hair-raising whistle, Kyoko's spears lunged themselves at the magical girl at harrowing speeds!

FWOOSH!

Followed by an ambush from a whirling Toccata!

Scaramouche the Merciless

HP: 90/110 DP: 0/15 AP: 9/16 (1d/1c, -0AP; 2d/2c, -1AP; weapon, -2AP)

Power: Magical music that is him, babe!Weapon: Toccata ; 2d/1c per swing at 2AP

Target: KyokoAction: One whack to the back of her head, two slices with her own javelins, and a surprise slash from Toccata!